The Powers That Be Don’t Want “.Gay” To Become A Thing. Here’s Why.

The battle over ownership of the .gay namespace is heating up: a company hoping to maintain it for community good is duking it out with three applicants who want to monetize it.

So far the community-minded applicant is facing an uphill battle. Questions are emerging as to why that is, and if those charged with overseeing the situation are going against their own policies, The Advocate reports.

The non-profit organization Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is responsible for contracting with those operating Internet namespaces. The operators are then responsible for what policies they use to manage those namespaces.

Related: Religious Groups Will Get A Chance To Block .Gay Domain Names

In 2009, dotgay LLC, created by Scott Seitz applied to manage .gay and run it as a resource for LGBTQ groups and organizations around the world. It initiated outreach on every continent and picked up over 250 endorsements from the likes of the Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Lesbian Rights, InterPride and National LGBTQ Task Force.

If dotgay LLC could prove they represented the LGBTQ community, through the Community Priority Evaluation process, they would become the owner of .gay.

They entered into that process in 2014, with ICANN’s third-party contractors, the Economist Intelligence Unit, determining the outcome. They rejected the application, saying they could not show that those groups that supported dotgay LLC were stakeholders of the gay community.

A second evaluation was conducted after a backlash surrounding a lack of transparency or quality control to ensure ICANN’s nondiscrimination policies were upheld.

ICANN’s ombudsman came out in support of dotgay LLC, writing in a statement that the board should “look at the bigger picture” and “grant the community application status to the applicant and put an end to this long and difficult issue.”

It further encouraged them to “take a major step in recognising the role of ICANN in complying with its own policies and well established human rights principles.”

Related: Does Obama Want To Block Your Chances Of Buying BarackIsSo.Gay?

While ICANN defended their decision and stated that their policies were not applicable to the Economist Intelligence Unit,  the recent decision Dot Registry v ICANN showed it had violated its own bylaws and articles of incorporation around transparency, fairness, and nondiscrimination by conspiring with the Economist Intelligence Unit on Community Priority Evaluation decisions for .LLP, .INC and .LLC.

If dotgay LLC continues to fail in its attempts to prove they represent the community and should be grated .gay as a result, they will have to participate in an auction against their rivals to determine ownership.

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/_EQj3n6UUxg/powers-dont-want-gay-become-thing-heres-20160903

PHOTOS: The Private Lives And Homoerotic Desires Of G.I. Joe And Ken

“I’m too shy to ask people to model for me, so dolls are an easier option,” queer artist Andrew Woodyatt tells Queerty. “I like subverting manufactured squeaky clean dolls, and explore what their real lives might be like at home away from their plastic public personas. I create their environment in miniature, the grubbiness and sadness, the secret desires.”

Related: PHOTOS: Barbie’s Gonna Flip When She Sees What Ken And His Buddies Are Up To

Woodyatt is based in East London. He’s been taking pictures ever since his father bought him his first SLR camera when he was 11 years old.

“I definitely have favorite dolls to work with,” Woodyatt continues. “The best one came from a fetish sex shop in Soho and already had pierced nipples.”

Related: PHOTOS: Barbie’s Dream Nightmare — Ken’s Gay Affair

Woodyatt says his fascination with dolls is lifelong.

“I started very early on the use dolls in my work,” he says. “My sister had lots of dolls and this epic dolls house. Growing up on trashy TV and lurid comics, I enacted overblown stories with the dolls, usually ending in some terrible disaster or alien invasion, where they all died or had terrible injuries.”

Scroll down for a sampling of Woodyatt’s work, and see more on his Flickr and Facebook pages…

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/W-k5r595uDM/photos-private-lives-homoerotic-desires-g-joe-ken-20160903

Gutter Spice Goes Off, Calvin Harris Goes Pantless & Joe Jonas Strips For Votes

This week, Colton Haynes cried for his gayness, Logo’s “gay bachelor” acknowledged his old Rentboy and XTube accounts, and Gus Kenworthy kissed a cute Australian. Here’s what went down on Instagram:

Out model Jon Kortajarena went shopping. In a shopping cart.

Calvin Harris casually gave us the goods.

Dustin Lance Black was looking masc at the gym.

Still doesn’t hold a candle to Tyson Beckford, though.

Out Olympic rower Robbie Manson rode in on a white horse.

Luke Evans went blonde.

“The Mincing Faggot” launched a new cooking channel on YouTube.

Max Emerson went off-roading.

Ryan Lochte shared his first Dancing With the Stars selfie.

Daniel Miller and Matthew Ludwinski, The Underwear Expert’s resident babes, dolled up for a photoshoot.

Patrick Schwarzenegger wore a yellow sweater. Probably inspired by Britney Spears.

Silver daddy Eric Rutherford hung some clothes on the line.

Joe Jonas begged the question: Why are gays so obsessed with Nick and not him?

Danell Leyva came out to Ricky Martin‘s One World Tour.

Pro footballer/model Jay Conroy went swimming in his jeans.

Channing Tatum teased Ellen with his Magic Mike Live studs.

Kevin Bacon slipped into the “Oops” bodysuit.

Drake slipped into a tank.

Fitness model Eric Turner launched the “Hunks for Hillary” campaign.

Steve Grand showed off his butt—

—and a pretty nice view of the other side.

And “Gutter Spice,” the gym bunny who captivated the internet with a Private Show this week, was the gift that kept on giving:

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/HtHHq4HSFb8/gutter-spice-goes-off-calvin-harris-goes-pantless-joe-jonas-strips-votes-20160903